The present invention relates to a dental care apparatus, and more precisely to an apparatus of the type comprising a hand instrument adapted to perform a sandblasting operation by projecting a powder onto the teeth, combined with a rinsing operation by projecting a liquid.
Apparatuses of this type are already known and used in dental and stomatological offices; the hand instrument, manipulated by the practitioner, is adapted to direct onto the teeth to be treated a double flow of fluids, namely a first flow carrying particles of powder, generally of sodium bicarbonate, which are suspended in compressed air, and a second liquid flow, in this instance of pressurized water; apparatuses of this kind are described in particular in the documents FR-A-2,567,747, 2,528,693 and 2,572,925.
The hand instrument possesses an intrabuccal cannula shaped so as to project the two jets onto the patient's teeth, in particular at the base of the teeth in the region of the subgingival sulcus, in order to remove bacterial plaque, which is particularly dangerous to the periodontium. In a known embodiment, the cannula has a central conduit serving to project the bicarbonate, and an annular conduit surrounding the central conduit for projecting water (see FR-A-2,575,062).
Such an apparatus is extremely advantageous as far as hygiene is concerned owing to the fact that no part of the instrument comes into contact with the patient's teeth or mouth during treatment, thereby considerably reducing the risks of bacterial contamination; in addition, it is very efficient for the prophylaxis of infections of the periodontium, since the jet of compressed air which transports the powder particles lifts the gingival margin slightly, permitting proper and extensive sandblasting and rinsing of the bacterial plaque.
One disadvantage of this type of apparatus consists in the fact that it is necessary to have available two different external sources for supplying fluid, one of compressed air and the other of pressurized water. This constraint is unimportant when the apparatus is used in a dental or stomatological office owing to the fact that the treatment console of such an office is traditionally already equipped with these two sources of supply, as well as with the corresponding distribution pipes, which are essential to the functioning of the various instruments and tools traditionally used in dental care.
In contrast, this constraint is a very considerable disadvantage insofar as it prevents virtually all domestic use, private individuals generally not possessing a compressed air inlet conduit in their bathroom.
Another disadvantage of the known apparatuses lies in the fact that it is not possible to use any other liquid than water for rinsing, even where it would occasionally be advantageous to use liquids having an antiseptic or medicamentous action.
The object of the invention is to solve these problems by proposing, as a result of minor and inexpensive modifications, to improve the known apparatus in order to turn it into an apparatus intended for domestic use, which is easy to use and in which it is possible to employ any appropriate liquid, even of syrupy consistency, for rinsing.